Religious issues and debates Books

Book SynopsisThe term charism is drawn originally from Pauline literature and refers to a gift given by the Spirit for the upbuilding of the body of Christ. Since the mid-twentieth century, Christians from a broad spectrum of theological positions have applied this term, in varying ways, to groups within the Church. However, no book thus far has provided a rigorous and sustained critical investigation of this idea of ecclesial charisms. In Division, Diversity, and Unity, James E. Pedlar provides such an investigation, drawing on biblical and systematic theology as well as literature on church renewal and ecumenism. Against those who justify denominational separation in order to preserve particular gifts of the Spirit, Pedlar insists that the theology of charisms supports visible, organic unity as the ecumenical ideal. Division, Diversity, and Unity argues that the theology of ecclesial charisms can account for legitimately diverse specialized vocational movements in the Church butTrade Review«James E. Pedlar provides something rarely seen in ecumenical literature: robust theology that is grounded in the actual life of churches. His lucid treatment of ecclesial charism as a reality designed for the whole Church, in its unity, rather than as the ground and justification for church division, is challenging and compelling. Watching his biblical and systematic arguments play themselves out in the lives of Catholic and Salvation Army mission is exciting and sobering, and should cause a rethinking of several major missionary and ecumenical assumptions in our day. This is a stellar and important contribution.» (Ephraim Radner, Professor of Historical Theology, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto) «James E. Pedlar’s Division, Diversity, and Unity synthesizes resources from biblical studies, ecumenism, theologies of charism, especially as developed among Catholic religious orders since Vatican II, and sociology into a creative and fresh constructive theology of ecclesial charisms. The Salvation Army and the Paulist Fathers offer Pedlar two very disparate and intriguing historical test cases. His argument that a theology of ecclesial charisms supports specialized vocational movements within the church but not separate churches is sure to provoke ecumenical discussion and help revive hopes for the ecumenical goal of visible, organic Christian unity.» (William L. Portier, Mary Ann Spearin Chair of Catholic Theology, University of Dayton)Table of ContentsContents: A Biblical Theology of Charisms – Charism and Institution – Charisms and Movements – Charisms, Unity, Diversity, and Division – The Charism of the Founder – The Formation of the Movement – The Movement in the Church – Ongoing Interpretation of the Charism – Historical and Ecumenical Implications.

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Book SynopsisBy the end of the twentieth century, ecumenism's deteriorating state had become evident. This deterioration can be attributed to many causes, however, the erstwhile German ecumenist Dr. Gerhard Ebeling's rancorous, public debate among theologians in Germany in 1998 over the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification remains a contributing factor in its decline. Through an investigation of Ebeling's systematic theology and his lifelong examination of the theology of Martin Luther, much of which is based upon German texts not translated into English, Scott A. Celsor identifies the hermeneutical and ontological concerns at the heart of Ebeling's objection to the Joint Declaration. Consequently, this book provides scholars with ardent historical insights into the bitter, public debate in Germany over the Joint Declaration in addition to critical insights into the hermeneutical and ontological objections that some evangelicals still lodge against it. ThTable of ContentsContents: The Adoption and Reception Process of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification – Ecumenism, Church, and Doctrine: The Broader Context of Ebeling's Hermeneutical Theology – The Doctrine of Justification, According to Gerhard Ebeling: A Study in the Hermeneutical Anthropology of Martin Luther – The Hermeneutical Justification for Gerhard Ebeling's Rejection of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification – The Legacy of Gerhard Ebeling's Hermeneutical Theology upon the Reception of the Joint Declaration and the Future of Lutheran/Roman Catholic Dialogue.

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Book SynopsisStephen Strehle continues his detailed analysis of the secular forces that shape the modern world in this second and final volume to the study, offering a fresh perspective and solid philosophical, theological, and historical conclusions from his years of research. He continues to find forces of secularity embodied in social or political institutions, cultural dispositions or interests, and new or disturbing intellectual realities that challenge former religious perspectives. The present work starts out examining two powerful institutions of culture, the American university and Hollywood, and explains their place in promoting the secular mentality. The study then shows the secular mentality permeating society as the culture starts to accent the materialistic concerns of technology and divorce religion from the practical and social concerns of everyday life. The study completes the analysis with a discussion of intellectual problems that confront the old-time religion or even the verTrade Review“In Forces of Secularity in the Modern World Stephen Strehle gives an excellent account of how our current culture has come to reject the Christian worldview and embrace radical secularization. Strehle masterfully shows how the industries of entertainment, academia, journalism, and technology have led us to a point where secularism is exalted, and religion is treated as profane.”—Shannon Holzer, Editor, Routledge Handbook of Church and State“Professor Strehle’s latest book is as important as his previous scholarly contributions to disputes around Christianity and secularism. This volume takes his work to new heights, adding existential and moral urgency to debates which are more than about religion in the public square. Drawing on powerful prophetic sources, Professor Strehle provides convincing evidence of what is at stake here: not merely the state of the nation but perhaps even the salvation of souls.”—Liam Gearon, Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford; Author, On Holy Ground: The Theory and Practice of Religious EducationTable of ContentsPrefaces – The Development of Liberal and Secular Universities – The Entertainment Industry – Technology – Protestantism and New Testament Christianity – The Challenge of Biblical Criticism for Conservative Christians – Pre-Modern Philosophical Skepticism from Ockham to Hume – Modern Philosophical Skepticism in Kant and the Post- Kantian World – Summary – Index.

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Book SynopsisReligion and Racism provides an extensive examination of the paradox that arises from the intersection of being a Christian and a racist. A racist believes that one racial group is superior to another. Yet, since the nation's revolutionary birth, the United States claims a pious, devout mantle of Christianity that served as the nation's moral compass, while engaging in horrendous acts of racial violence. How can a white Christian male, sit in a church, engage in Christian prayers, and then in cold-blooded fashion murder nine African American Christians in their own church? Christians traditionally have always designated churches as places of refuge and sanctuary. The binary of whiteness and Christianity emerged and came to dominate much of the world. In the United States and other parts of the world, whiteness and Christianity have served to subjugate people of color even as such people themselves also came to embrace Christ''s teachings, often at the cost of the loss of thTable of ContentsForeword – Acknowledgments – The Issue of the Paradox – The Heart of a Christian – Christianity and White Supremacy – The Perpetuation of White Supremacy: Legislators and Citizenry – Christian Forgiveness and the American Judicial System – The Intersection of Christianity and Education – Reconciliation Is Not Enough – Combatting Racism Through Advocacy – Epilogue – Glossary – About the Authors – Index.

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Book SynopsisPreaching During a Pandemic: The Rhetoric of the Black Preaching Tradition is a two-volume collection of sermons from those who preach within the Black preaching tradition during the COVID-19 pandemic. By publishing these sermons, the editors address questions such as what were those who preached in the Black preaching tradition sharing with their congregants? How were they incorporating and infusing COVID-19 in their sermons? What shape did the prophetic and priestly sermon take when preaching during a pandemic? Were specific models or types of sermonswomanist, prophetic/liberation, narrative, contemplative, celebrative, expository, thematic, induction, deductivemore frequently employed during a crisis? Across the two volumes, the editors collate 29 sermons and provide detailed introductions to each book examining the context and themes of the texts in an illuminating and accessible manner. It will make fascinating reading for students and scholTrade ReviewDirectly in line with the long tradition of African American preaching that brings hope, justice, and healing, these volumes curate sermons that are theologically rich and rhetorically creative, offering insights into contemporary and relevant preaching around social justice, COVID-19, and health disparities in America. An absolute must-read!!!! —Frank A. Thomas, Director of the Ph.D. Program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric, Christian Theological Seminary This intergenerational, interdenominational compilation shows forth the multi¬vocality of Black preaching, the vastness of our theological imagination, and the richness of our rhetorical genius. Ultimately, this compilation draws our attention to the greatest powers of Black preaching in times of upheaval: to help God’s people make meaning of our lived experiences, to return to the transgenerational theological truths that have held our people together, and to give voice to the new things that God is saying and doing in our lifetimes. — Neichelle Guidry, Dean of Sisters Chapel, Spelman College Our most elegant preachers and theological thinkers remind us that the Divine exists in community. Likewise, they also remind us that preachers do not pro¬claim the gospel in isolation. What the pandemic(s) of 2020 reminded us of is that we are surrounded by a great cloud of contemporary witnesses whose gifts, struggles, and hermeneutical acumen can strengthen our own. Those who preach and love preaching are presented as colleagues and able craftspersons of sacred rhetoric in this well-curated volume. Preachers, the pandemics are not over. We cannot survive them homiletically by ourselves. Read these sermons. —William H. Lamar IV, Pastor, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, Washington, DC The last few years of COVID-19, Black Lives Matter protests, and political upheaval has left Black folx betwixt and between multiple crises in the village, all streaming live for the consumption of a global audience. Yet, beyond a rhetorical geography rifled with strange fruit, this timely text captures the prophetic prow¬ess and anointed adroitness of Black preachers who take up their pulpits to meet their communities where they are—and still find a way to lead them toward hope everlasting. —Dianna Watkins Dickerson, Chaplain, United States Air Force and President of the African American Communication and Culture Division of the National Communication AssociationTable of ContentsAcknowledgments – Introduction: The Rhetoric of the Black Pulpit: The Collection of Black Sermons – Ristina Gooden: What Happens in the Wilderness?: Genesis 16:7–13 (NRSV) – Heather S. Wills: Do Not Pass Me By: Exodus 11: 4–8 (NRSV) – Jamar Boyd II: Surviving Quarantine: Exodus 12:13, 22–23; Ephesians 3:16–19 (NIV) – Donna Vanhook: Hope in the Holla: Numbers 27:1– 5 (NRSV) – Howard-John Wesley: The Ministry of Manna: Deuteronomy 8:1–5 (NRSV) – Wallis C. Baxter III: What Does All this Mean?: Joshua 4:5–7 (NIV) – Tamara Kersey: Remembering God in Troubled Times: Psalm 20:6–8 (NKJV) – Aaron Marble: Singing Without a Sanctuary: Psalm 27:4–6 (NASB) – Andre E. Johnson: Pandemic Loneliness: Psalms 66:8–20, John 14:15–21 (NRSV) – Glencie Rhedrick: What’s Going On?: Psalm 82:1–6 (NIV) – R. Janae Pitts- Murdock: I Can’t Breathe: Isaiah 40:27–29 (NASB) – C. Dexter Wise III: Building Houses in Babylon: Jeremiah 29: 4–11 (NKJV) – Cory Jones: How Long? We Can’t Breathe: Habakkuk 1:2 (NIV) – Patricia Robinson Williams: Lines Written Upon Reflection on Contemporary Moral Decay – Contributors.

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Book SynopsisPreaching During a Pandemic: The Rhetoric of the Black Preaching Tradition is a two-volume collection of sermons from those who preach within the Black preaching tradition during the COVID-19 pandemic. By publishing these sermons, the editors address questions such as what were those who preached in the Black preaching tradition sharing with their congregants? How were they incorporating and infusing COVID-19 in their sermons? What shape did the prophetic and priestly sermon take when preaching during a pandemic? Were specific models or types of sermonswomanist, prophetic/liberation, narrative, contemplative, celebrative, expository, thematic, induction, deductivemore frequently employed during a crisis? Across the two volumes, the editors collate 29 sermons and provide detailed introductions to each book examining the context and themes of the texts in an illuminating and accessible manner. It will make fascinating reading for students and scholTrade ReviewDirectly in line with the long tradition of African American preaching that brings hope, justice, and healing, these volumes curate sermons that are theologically rich and rhetorically creative, offering insights into contemporary and relevant preaching around social justice, COVID-19, and health disparities in America. An absolute must-read!!!! —Frank A. Thomas, Director of the Ph.D. Program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric, Christian Theological Seminary This intergenerational, interdenominational compilation shows forth the multi¬vocality of Black preaching, the vastness of our theological imagination, and the richness of our rhetorical genius. Ultimately, this compilation draws our attention to the greatest powers of Black preaching in times of upheaval: to help God’s people make meaning of our lived experiences, to return to the transgenerational theological truths that have held our people together, and to give voice to the new things that God is saying and doing in our lifetimes. — Neichelle Guidry, Dean of Sisters Chapel, Spelman College Our most elegant preachers and theological thinkers remind us that the Divine exists in community. Likewise, they also remind us that preachers do not pro¬claim the gospel in isolation. What the pandemic(s) of 2020 reminded us of is that we are surrounded by a great cloud of contemporary witnesses whose gifts, struggles, and hermeneutical acumen can strengthen our own. Those who preach and love preaching are presented as colleagues and able craftspersons of sacred rhetoric in this well-curated volume. Preachers, the pandemics are not over. We cannot survive them homiletically by ourselves. Read these sermons. —William H. Lamar IV, Pastor, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, Washington, DC The last few years of COVID-19, Black Lives Matter protests, and political upheaval has left Black folx betwixt and between multiple crises in the village, all streaming live for the consumption of a global audience. Yet, beyond a rhetorical geography rifled with strange fruit, this timely text captures the prophetic prow¬ess and anointed adroitness of Black preachers who take up their pulpits to meet their communities where they are—and still find a way to lead them toward hope everlasting. —Dianna Watkins Dickerson, Chaplain, United States Air Force and President of the African American Communication and Culture Division of the National Communication AssociationTable of ContentsAcknowledgments – Introduction: The Rhetoric of the Black Pulpit: The Collection of Black Sermons – Ristina Gooden: What Happens in the Wilderness?: Genesis 16:7–13 (NRSV) – Heather S. Wills: Do Not Pass Me By: Exodus 11: 4–8 (NRSV) – Jamar Boyd II: Surviving Quarantine: Exodus 12:13, 22–23; Ephesians 3:16–19 (NIV) – Donna Vanhook: Hope in the Holla: Numbers 27:1– 5 (NRSV) – Howard-John Wesley: The Ministry of Manna: Deuteronomy 8:1–5 (NRSV) – Wallis C. Baxter III: What Does All this Mean?: Joshua 4:5–7 (NIV) – Tamara Kersey: Remembering God in Troubled Times: Psalm 20:6–8 (NKJV) – Aaron Marble: Singing Without a Sanctuary: Psalm 27:4–6 (NASB) – Andre E. Johnson: Pandemic Loneliness: Psalms 66:8–20, John 14:15–21 (NRSV) – Glencie Rhedrick: What’s Going On?: Psalm 82:1–6 (NIV) – R. Janae Pitts- Murdock: I Can’t Breathe: Isaiah 40:27–29 (NASB) – C. Dexter Wise III: Building Houses in Babylon: Jeremiah 29: 4–11 (NKJV) – Cory Jones: How Long? We Can’t Breathe: Habakkuk 1:2 (NIV) – Patricia Robinson Williams: Lines Written Upon Reflection on Contemporary Moral Decay – Contributors.

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Book SynopsisIslam in Liberal Europe provides the first comprehensive overview of the political and social status of Islam and of Muslim migrants in Europe. Kai Hafez shows that although legal and political systems have made progress toward recognizing Muslims on equal terms and eliminating discriminatory practices that are in contradiction to neutral secularism, liberal societies often lag behind. The author argues that Islamophobic murders in Norway and Germany are only the tip of the iceberg of a deep-seated inability of many Europeans to accept cultural globalization when it hits close to home. Although there have always been anti-racist elites and networks in Europe, Hafez contends that the dominant tradition even among seemingly liberal intellectual milieus and their media is Islamophobic. This fact finds expression not only in the growing anti-Islam sentiment among right-wing populists but sometimes also in so-called enlightened forms of contemporary media, public opinion, school curricula, Trade ReviewThe 16th-century Peace of Westphalia, ending the Hundred Years War, is considered a milestone on the road to removing sectarian conflicts from the arenas of war and politics in Western Europe. Now that the Muslim population in Western Europe exceeds five percent, is rapidly rising, and is concentrated in a relatively small number of urban areas, new sets of challenges to church-state relations—long thought dormant—are reemerging. Hafez’s careful comparisons of the legal, political, cultural, and intellectual challenges flowing from these demographic changes show just how unsettled these issues are. His in-depth analyses of France, Germany, and the UK, in particular, show surprising variations both in public attitudes and legal approaches to mosque/state issues. Blatant prejudice against Muslims, Hafez shows, is characteristic not just of some of the more virulent rightist parties but is also found in the mainstream media, in centrist politics, and in academia. . . .[H]is case for a reexamination of the true nature of multicultural liberalism, secularism, and religious tolerance is timely and on point. This is an important book, raising important questions about challenging issues. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections. * CHOICE *Hafez’s well-documented argument and theoretically founded reflections reach far beyond the usual critique of Islamophobia. * Internationale Politik *Kai Hafez gets to the bottom of the most essential questions of our time. * Wiener Zeitung *Kai Hafez’s book offers a theoretical and systematic basis for one of the key questions of European migratory society—the integration of Islam. -- Klaus J. Bade, University of Osnabrück, GermanyTable of ContentsIntroduction: Is Liberal Society Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? Chapter 1: Politics and Law Chapter 2: Society Chapter 3: Media Chapter 4: The Academy and Education Chapter 5: Religious Institutions Conclusion: The Reinvention of Liberal Society in Europe Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe Politics of Jesús is a powerful new biography of Jesus told from the margins. Miguel A. De La Torre argues that we all create Jesus in our own image, reflecting and reinforcing the values of communitiessometimes for better, and often for worse. In light of the increasing economic and social inequality around the world, De La Torre asserts that what the world needs is a Jesus of solidarity who also comes from the underside of global power. The Politics of Jesús is a search for a Jesus that resonates specifically with the Latino/a community, as well as other marginalized groups. The book unabashedly rejects the Eurocentric Jesus for the Hispanic Jesús, whose mission is to give life abundantly, who resonates with the Latino/a experience of disenfranchisement, and who works for real social justice and political change.While Jesus is an admirable figure for Christians, The Politics of Jesús highlights the way the Jesus of dominant culture is oppressive and describes a Jesús from the barTrade ReviewRecognizing that cultural constructions of Jesus have been used by Euro-Americans in the oppression of colonized peoples, De La Torre constructs a portrait of Jesus from a Hispanic perspective. Juxtaposing the experiences of Latinas/os with Gospel accounts of Jesus, he constructs a powerful image of Jesus the liberator. He notes that Jesus came from the margins of the empire (i.e., Nazareth), which makes him a despised and suspect alien. Consequently, Jesus is both one of and also lives among the poor. Jesus himself notes, in the Gospels, that ‘the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ Highlighting the suffering experienced by colonized and immigrant Hispanics, De La Torre notes that the liberator Jesus is unjustly persecuted and suffers. This suffering, however, is redemptive, and those who would follow him are invited to ‘take up the cross.’ Suffering becomes redemptive and so a ground of hope. De La Torre, in constructing this Hispanic Jesus/Jesús, invites other oppressed peoples to consult their own contexts and construct their own liberating Christologies. He notes, however, that all concerned with replacing the Jesus of colonialism with a liberating Jesus are engaged in a common project. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; professionals; general readers. * CHOICE *[This is] a novel turn that might be just what Christology needs in this day and age. And it is a proposal that allows a further distinction between a white Jesus, and a Jesús of black and brown bodies, something ever more important in these days. And it is in this way that De La Torre gives his greatest contribution, as a Latino voice, in a white academia and a largely white church - allows for a deep breath for black and brown lives, a breath that allows us to ponder the Jesús who messes with oppression and injustice, brings new life, must die and is resurrected once more. * Word & World *The fourth entry in Rowman & Littlefield’s ‘Religion in the Modern World’ series, this text offers a full-fledged Hispanic political theology centered, not on the Jesus/ Christ of Euro-American theology—a figure complicit in Latina/o oppression—but on Jesús/Jesucristo, who stands in solidarity with downtrodden Latino/as…. T.’s use of Hispanic names for biblical figures and concepts proves highly effective at startling the reader out of complacent readings of familiar texts. This increases the already considerable efficacy with which T. recovers the unsettling element to the gospel narratives…. [T]his text is thought-provoking and innovative, with the theological sophistication and accessibility to engage specialist and non- specialist alike. It is worth considering for any syllabus covering liberation/postcolonial theologies. * Theological Studies *This book is doubly thought-provoking: first, in its interpreting the events of the life of Jesús from an Hispanic perspective; second, in its repeated paralleling of Gospel parables and teachings with the Hispanic experience, including the author’s; for example, the rich young ruler (Mt. 13:22) becomes a 'CEO of a multinational corporation' and the teaching of Jesús is sharply rephrased: 'To ignore the cry of those who are marginalized is to deny Jesús’ message, regardless of whether or not we confess our belief in Jesús and proclaim his name with our lips.' * Catholic Books Review *The thicker Jesús that Miguel A. De La Torre describes is a Jesús of liberation. This good news of Jesús present lo cotidiano (in the everyday) lives of the marginalized and the oppressed, compels Christians to look at the manner in which we recognize God with us, working for the liberation of the oppressed and the oppressor from injustice. -- Reggie L. Williams, McCormick Theological SeminaryIn the tradition of Yoder, De La Torre challenges dominant neoliberal and imperialist readings of Jesus and offers insight into new ways of reading Jesus through the eyes of Hispanic Christians. A provocative read! -- Rebecca Todd Peters, Elon UniversityOver the past few decades, biblical scholars have had conversations about reading ethics in the Bible and about the politics of reading the Bible. Now we have a prolific ethicist, Miguel De La Torre, reading the Bible and writing about the politics of Jesús. De La Torre presents a Jesús that is relevant to not only Latino/as but also to anyone who cares about justice and liberation. This book is about what Jesús means for our needy and troubled world today, as well as how a radical ethics of liberation may be grounded in the Bible’s stories about Jesus. -- Tat-siong Benny Liew, College of the Holy CrossThe Rev. Dr. Miguel De La Torre has done it again! In the tradition of his award-winning Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins and in further development of his central argument in Latina/o Social Ethics, De La Torre argues both with and against John Howard Yoder in his presentation of a ‘Jesús over and against Jesus.’ Readers will be challenged and provoked by De La Torre’s intriguing ‘Christology with an accent.’ -- Grace Yia-Hei Kao, Claremont School of TheologyIn The Politics of Jesús, Miguel A. De La Torre situates his curiosity about Jesus and Christology through autobiography, scripture, and global sociocultural history as he challenges us to acknowledge our subjective biography of Jesus, which leads to an empire-seeking, genocidal, satanic Jesus who demands realized oppression and injustice. With electrifying passion, formidable intellect, and a rich historical, sociocultural, Cuban-American legacy, De La Torre challenges our sensibilities regarding how we read and interpret Jesus from the lens of a Latina/o Jesús salvific figure, so that we honor the imago dei of marginalized Hispanics. He calls us to critical, analytical thinking and hermeneutics that exposes the lived experience of the disposed, disenfranchised, and disinherited—those deemed ‘other.’ The Politics of Jesús is a must-read for those who want to engage the message and meaning of the gospel, towards a more just social order: to set the captives free. -- Dr. Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan, Shaw University Divinity SchoolTable of ContentsForeword Introduction: Jesus or Jesús? Chapter 1: For Unto You is Born This Day a Liberator Chapter 2: Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth Chapter 3: Nowhere to Lay His Head Chapter 4: Pick Up Your Daily Cross and Follow Me Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe Politics of Jesús is a powerful new biography of Jesus told from the margins. Miguel A. De La Torre argues that we all create Jesus in our own image, reflecting and reinforcing the values of communitiessometimes for better, and often for worse. In light of the increasing economic and social inequality around the world, De La Torre asserts that what the world needs is a Jesus of solidarity who also comes from the underside of global power. The Politics of Jesús is a search for a Jesus that resonates specifically with the Latino/a community, as well as other marginalized groups. The book unabashedly rejects the Eurocentric Jesus for the Hispanic Jesús, whose mission is to give life abundantly, who resonates with the Latino/a experience of disenfranchisement, and who works for real social justice and political change.While Jesus is an admirable figure for Christians, The Politics of Jesús highlights the way the Jesus of dominant culture is oppressive and describes a Jesús from the barTrade ReviewRecognizing that cultural constructions of Jesus have been used by Euro-Americans in the oppression of colonized peoples, De La Torre constructs a portrait of Jesus from a Hispanic perspective. Juxtaposing the experiences of Latinas/os with Gospel accounts of Jesus, he constructs a powerful image of Jesus the liberator. He notes that Jesus came from the margins of the empire (i.e., Nazareth), which makes him a despised and suspect alien. Consequently, Jesus is both one of and also lives among the poor. Jesus himself notes, in the Gospels, that ‘the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ Highlighting the suffering experienced by colonized and immigrant Hispanics, De La Torre notes that the liberator Jesus is unjustly persecuted and suffers. This suffering, however, is redemptive, and those who would follow him are invited to ‘take up the cross.’ Suffering becomes redemptive and so a ground of hope. De La Torre, in constructing this Hispanic Jesus/Jesús, invites other oppressed peoples to consult their own contexts and construct their own liberating Christologies. He notes, however, that all concerned with replacing the Jesus of colonialism with a liberating Jesus are engaged in a common project. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; professionals; general readers. * CHOICE *[This is] a novel turn that might be just what Christology needs in this day and age. And it is a proposal that allows a further distinction between a white Jesus, and a Jesús of black and brown bodies, something ever more important in these days. And it is in this way that De La Torre gives his greatest contribution, as a Latino voice, in a white academia and a largely white church - allows for a deep breath for black and brown lives, a breath that allows us to ponder the Jesús who messes with oppression and injustice, brings new life, must die and is resurrected once more. * Word & World *The fourth entry in Rowman & Littlefield’s ‘Religion in the Modern World’ series, this text offers a full-fledged Hispanic political theology centered, not on the Jesus/ Christ of Euro-American theology—a figure complicit in Latina/o oppression—but on Jesús/Jesucristo, who stands in solidarity with downtrodden Latino/as…. T.’s use of Hispanic names for biblical figures and concepts proves highly effective at startling the reader out of complacent readings of familiar texts. This increases the already considerable efficacy with which T. recovers the unsettling element to the gospel narratives…. [T]his text is thought-provoking and innovative, with the theological sophistication and accessibility to engage specialist and non- specialist alike. It is worth considering for any syllabus covering liberation/postcolonial theologies. * Theological Studies *This book is doubly thought-provoking: first, in its interpreting the events of the life of Jesús from an Hispanic perspective; second, in its repeated paralleling of Gospel parables and teachings with the Hispanic experience, including the author’s; for example, the rich young ruler (Mt. 13:22) becomes a 'CEO of a multinational corporation' and the teaching of Jesús is sharply rephrased: 'To ignore the cry of those who are marginalized is to deny Jesús’ message, regardless of whether or not we confess our belief in Jesús and proclaim his name with our lips.' * Catholic Books Review *The thicker Jesús that Miguel A. De La Torre describes is a Jesús of liberation. This good news of Jesús present lo cotidiano (in the everyday) lives of the marginalized and the oppressed, compels Christians to look at the manner in which we recognize God with us, working for the liberation of the oppressed and the oppressor from injustice. -- Reggie L. Williams, McCormick Theological SeminaryIn the tradition of Yoder, De La Torre challenges dominant neoliberal and imperialist readings of Jesus and offers insight into new ways of reading Jesus through the eyes of Hispanic Christians. A provocative read! -- Rebecca Todd Peters, Elon UniversityOver the past few decades, biblical scholars have had conversations about reading ethics in the Bible and about the politics of reading the Bible. Now we have a prolific ethicist, Miguel De La Torre, reading the Bible and writing about the politics of Jesús. De La Torre presents a Jesus that is relevant to not only Latino/as but also to anyone who cares about justice and liberation. This book is about what Jesus means for our needy and troubled world today, as well as how a radical ethics of liberation may be grounded in the Bible’s stories about Jesus. -- Tat-siong Benny Liew, College of the Holy CrossThe Rev. Dr. Miguel De La Torre has done it again! In the tradition of his award-winning Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins and in further development of his central argument in Latina/o Social Ethics, De La Torre argues both with and against John Howard Yoder in his presentation of a ‘Jesús over and against Jesus.’ Readers will be challenged and provoked by De La Torre’s intriguing ‘Christology with an accent.’ -- Grace Yia-Hei Kao, Claremont School of TheologyIn The Politics of Jesús, Miguel A. De La Torre situates his curiosity about Jesus and Christology through autobiography, scripture, and global sociocultural history as he challenges us to acknowledge our subjective biography of Jesus, which leads to an empire-seeking, genocidal, satanic Jesus who demands realized oppression and injustice. With electrifying passion, formidable intellect, and a rich historical, sociocultural, Cuban-American legacy, De La Torre challenges our sensibilities regarding how we read and interpret Jesus from the lens of a Latina/o Jesús salvific figure, so that we honor the imago dei of marginalized Hispanics. He calls us to critical, analytical thinking and hermeneutics that exposes the lived experience of the disposed, disenfranchised, and disinherited—those deemed ‘other.’ The Politics of Jesús is a must-read for those who want to engage the message and meaning of the gospel, towards a more just social order: to set the captives free. -- Dr. Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan, Shaw University Divinity SchoolTable of ContentsForeword Introduction: Jesus or Jesús? Chapter 1: For Unto You is Born This Day a Liberator Chapter 2: Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth Chapter 3: Nowhere to Lay His Head Chapter 4: Pick Up Your Daily Cross and Follow Me Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a crisis of religion and belief literacy to which education at every level is challenged to respond. It provides a clear pathway for engaging well with religion and belief diversity in public and shared settings.Table of ContentsIntroduction The broken chain of learning: the crisis of religion and belief literacy and its origins Policy framings of religion and belief: consolidating the muddle Religion and belief in Religious Education Religion and belief across schools Religion and belief in university practices Religion and belief in university teaching and learning Religion and belief in professional education and workplaces Religion and belief in community education and learning The future of religion and belief literacy: reconnecting a chain of learning

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Book SynopsisProviding perspectives from the global North and South, faith leaders, scholars and activists demonstrate the complex connections between faith and abortion, how women and pregnant people are positioned in society and how morality is claimed and challenged.Table of Contents1. Introduction - Kellie Turtle and Fiona Bloomer 2. Redeemed by reproduction? Exploring compulsory motherhood and abortion stigma - Selina Palm 3. Suspending judgement: exploring pedagogical approaches that centre the contextual embodied experiences of those affected in the process of sexual reproductive health and rights decision making and ethical reflection - Charlene van der Walt 4. Pastoral guidelines through a reproductive justice lens - Emilie Weiderud 5. Abortion in Malaysia: challenges and necessity - Syarifatul Adibah 6. The power of religious voice in abortion law reform advocacy: inter-faith approaches to abortion law reform in Malawi - Brian Ligomeka 7. Abortion and faith in Latin America: an interfaith perspective - María de los Ángeles Roberto 8. Sri Lanka: abortion and Buddhism – a conversation with Dakshitha Wickremarathne - Dakshitha Wickremarathne and Fiona Bloomer 9. Reflections on faith-based abortion advocacy as the US faces a future without Roe: a conversation with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg - Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg and Kellie Turtle 10. Marking the absence of an embodied theology: an analysis of how people of faith talk about abortion in Northern Ireland - Nóirín MacNamara and Fiona Bloomer 11. Seeds of hope in progressive Christian discourse on abortion in Northern Ireland - Kellie Turtle 12. Faith voices for reproductive justice in Northern Ireland - Kellie Turtle and participants from Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice 13. Conclusion - Kellie Turtle and Fiona Bloomer

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Book SynopsisA scientific exploration into humanity''s obsession with the afterlife and the quest for immortality from the bestselling author and sceptic Michael ShermerIn his most ambitious work yet, Shermer sets out to discover what drives humans'' belief in life after death. For millennia, the awareness of our own mortality and failings has led to religions concocting comforting notions of an afterlife, of heaven and hell, utopias and dystopias, and of the perfectibility of human nature.Heavens on Earth explores the numerous manifestations of the afterlife - a place where souls might go after the death of the physical body. Religious leaders have toiled to make sense of this place that a surprisingly high percentage of people believe exists, but from which no one has ever returned to report what it is really like.This is one of the most profound questions of the human condition and has long driven philosophers and theologians to try to understand the meaning Trade ReviewNot only a bizarrely uplifting look at death and the great beyond, but a witty and insightful examination of morality as dictated by science * Independent *

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Book SynopsisSteve Bruce explores Scotland's transformation from the devout Presbyterian country of 1900, to the diverse society of today, with less than 10 per cent of Scots attending church. He bases his study on historical, ethnographic and statistical research, to provide both a coherent description of Scotland's current religious complexion.

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Book Synopsis From Rosemary''s Baby (1968) to The Witch (2015), horror films use religious entities to both inspire and combat fear and to call into question or affirm the moral order. Churches provide sanctuary, clergy cast out evil, religious icons become weapons, holy ground becomes battleground--but all of these may be turned from their original purpose. This collection of new essays explores fifty years of genre horror in which manifestations of the sacred or profane play a material role. The contributors explore portrayals of the war between good and evil and their archetypes in such classics as The Omen (1976), The Exorcist (1973) and Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968), as well as in popular franchises like Hellraiser and Hellboy and cult films such as God Told Me To (1976), Thirst (2009) and Frailty (2001).

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPeripatetic … tormented … fascinating.” * Broadview *The Temple at the End of the Universe is a thoughtful memoir, searching for greater meaning in a fraught world, and learning to be connected to the land once again … Perfectly on tone for the current state of our world. * Miramichi Reader *A thoughtful contribution to much-needed discourse about aligning personal values with public action to curb the climate crisis. * Literary Review of Canada *

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Book SynopsisThis book sheds light on the seminal ideas of Martin Heidegger's lifelong attention to the question of Being.Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Studies 1. Pindar’s “Gold” and Heraclitus’s “Kosmos” as Being Itself 2. In the Black Notebooks: The “Turn” Away from the Transcendental-Phenomenological Positioning of Being and Time to the Thinking of Being as Physis and Aletheia 3. Heidegger’s Manifold Thinking of Being: In Honor of Prof. William J. Richardson 4. Athena, Art, and Overcoming the Egoity of Our Age 5. Mythos, Being, and the Appropriation of a Religious Tradition 6. On Heidegger’s Heraclitus Lectures: In Nearness of a Process Metaphysics? 7. The Path through Heidegger’s Thought: Interview with FILOZOFIA Part II: Translation 8. “Martin Heidegger’s Thinking and Japanese Philosophy” by Kōichi Tsujimura and “Reply in Appreciation” by Martin Heidegger Part III: Reflections and Impressions 9. Heidegger and the Earliest Greeks 10. Heidegger, Phenomenology, and Metaphysics 11. Why “Phenomenology” Inevitably Slides toward Idealism/Subjectivism/Constructivism 12. Heidegger’s “Clearing” Is Not Identical with the Human Being 13. Heidegger, Max Müller, and Metaphysics: “Heidegger Remains a Metaphysician” 14. Heidegger, Plato, and “Light” 15. Hegel and the Inexhaustible Depth of “Things” 16. Facticity Only in the Light of Eternity 17. Another Suggestion on Thinking: Heidegger and Whitehead 18. Heidegger and C.G. Jung on Wholeness as the Telos of the Human Being 18. Heidegger and C.G. Jung on “Opposites” 20. Heidegger and Melville 21. Heidegger and a Robert Frost Poem 22. The Unspeakable Mystery of All Things 23. A “Hermetic Saying” and the Hermetic Tradition 24. Heidegger and Walt Whitman 25. Heidegger and the Limit of Language – and Rumi 26. Thomas Aquinas, “God,” and the “Godhead of God” Afterword A Note on the Text and Heidegger’s Gesamtausgabe Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisSome scientific studies suggest that human beings are innately selfish and that Christian virtues like self-sacrifice are a delusion. In this intriguing volume, esteemed theologian Thomas Jay Oord interprets the scientific research and responds from a theological and philosophical standpoint, providing a state-of-the-art overview of love and altruism studies. He offers a definition of love that is scientifically, theologically, and philosophically adequate. As Oord helps readers arrive at a clearer understanding of the definition, recipients, and forms of love, he mounts a case for Christian agape and ultimately for a loving God.

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Book Synopsis"Justice and Rights" is a record of the fifth 'Building Bridges' seminar held in Washington, DC in 2006 (an annual symposium on Muslim-Christian relations cosponsored by Georgetown University and the Church of England). This volume examines justice and rights from Christian and Muslim perspectives - a topic of immense relevance for both faiths in the modern world, but also with deep roots in the core texts of both traditions. Leading scholars examine three topics: scriptural foundations, featuring analysis of Christian and Muslim sacred texts; evolving traditions, exploring historical issues in both faiths with an emphasis on religious and political authority; and the modern world, analyzing recent and contemporary contributions from Christianity and Islam in the area of freedom and human rights.Trade Review"Astute commentary from philosophers, theologians, and jurists turns this stunning compilation of Muslim and Christian sources, classical and modern, into a working instrument to clarify vexed notions of justice and of rights from the comparative perspective our fractured world sorely needs."-David Burrell, Hesburgh Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology, University of Notre Dame "The most critical contribution of [this volume] is its honest assessment of historical precedents of both Islamic and Christian traditions when entangled in politics that continue to thwart sincere efforts by leaders of both communities in advancing mutual respect and commitment to uphold inherency of human dignity today. Some essays will serve as essential templates for understanding the challenges that face future relationships and cooperation between the two dominant faith communities promoting basic freedoms of all human beings regardless of their color, creed, or sex."-Abdulaziz Sachedina, Francis Myers Ball Professor of Religious Studies, University of VirginiaTable of ContentsIntroductionChristian and Muslim PerspectivesMichael IpgravePart I Scriptural Foundations 1. The Ruler and the Ruled in Islam: A Brief Analysis of the SourcesMohammad Hashim Kamali2. Biblical Perspectives on Divine Justice and Political AuthorityEllen Davis 3. Scriptural Texts3.1 Two PsalmsEllen Davis3.2 Twelve Verses from the Qur' nMustansir Mir3.3 Two New Testament TextsMichael Ipgrave3.4 Seven a d thTimothy J. Winter Notes Part II Evolving Traditions 4. Religious Orthodoxy and Religious Rights in Medieval Islam: A Reality Check on the Road to Religious TolerationVincent J. Cornell 5. Une Foi, Une Loi, Un Roi: Political Authority and Religious Freedom in the West, from Constantine to Jefferson John Langan 6. Traditional Texts6.1 A Letter of St. AugustineRowan Williams6.2 A Response of ibn LubbVincent Cornell6.3 A Treatise of al-Ghaz l Vincent Cornell6.4 A Treatise of Martin LutherMiroslav Volf Notes Part III The Modern World 7. Human Rights and the Freedom of ReligionMalcolm Evans 8. Modern Texts8.1 The Barmen DeclarationMiroslav Volf8.2 Writings of Imam Khomeini Seyed Amir Akrami8.3 The Second Vatican Council on Religious FreedomCarolyn Evans8.4 Two Islamic Declarations on Human RightsFikret Karcic Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe relationship between religious belief and sexuality as personal attributes exhibits some provocative comparisons. Despite the nonestablishment of religion in the United States and the constitutional guarantee of free exercise, Christianity functions as the religious and moral standard in America. Ethical views that do not fit within this consensus often go unrecognized as moral values. Similarly, in the realm of sexual orientation, heterosexuality is seen as the yardstick by which sexual practices are measured. The notion that "alternative" sexual practices like homosexuality could possess ethical significance is often overlooked or ignored. In her new book, An "Argument for Same-Sex Marriage", political scientist Emily Gill draws an extended comparison between religious belief and sexuality, both central components of one's personal identity. Using the religion clause of the First Amendment as a foundation, Gill contends that, just as US law and policy ensure that citizens may express religious beliefs as they see fit, it should also ensure that citizens may marry as they see fit. Civil marriage, according to Gill, is a public institution, and the exclusion of some couples from a state institution is a public expression of civic inequality. An "Argument for Same-Sex Marriage" is a passionate and timely treatment of the various arguments for and against same-sex marriage and how those arguments reflect our collective sense of morality and civic equality. It will appeal to readers who have an interest in gay and lesbian studies, political theory, constitutional law, and the role of religion in the contemporary United States.Trade ReviewThis book has a broad potential audience, due to its subject matter and the wide range of subtopics that Gill touches on under the rubric of advocating for same-sex marriage. For political philosophers, her reliance on John Stuart Mill's 'On Liberty' will prove rewarding. For those more concerned with the contemporary cultural climate, her concluding chapter highlighting the culture wars will be particularly apt. Gill's close reading of Supreme Court decisions such as Thomas v. Review Board and Romer v. Evans will intrigue legal scholars. And for the general reader energized by the recent rulings in Hollingsworth v. Perry and United States v. Windsor, Gill offers a clear, succinct, and reasoned argument in support of same-sex marriage. Political Science Quarterly This smoothly written work does an extraordinary job of presenting a breadth of previous normative arguments for and against same-sex marriage and then placing its arguments in the context of existing literature on the subject. ChoiceTable of ContentsPreface 1. Religion and Sexuality: Setting the Stage 2. The Impossibility of Neutrality 3. Same-Sex Marriage: Social Facts and Conflicting Views 4. Religious Establishment and the Endorsement Test 5. Free Exercise and the Right to Conscience 6. Establishment and Free Exercise: Who Should Be Outsiders? References

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Book SynopsisAlthough scholars have increasingly investigated the impact of religion and religious movements on nature, studies of the interactions between Mormons and the natural environment are few. This volume applies the perspectives of environmental history to Mormonism, providing both a scholarly introduction to Mormon environmental history and a spur for historians to consider the role of nature in the Mormon past.Mormons have interacted with nature in significant ways—whether perceiving in it a place to find God, wildness needing domestication and control, uncorrupted spaces in which to build communities to usher in the Second Coming, or a world brimming with natural resources to ensure economic well-being. The essays in this volume—written by leading scholars in both environmental and Mormon history—explore how nature has influenced Mormon beliefs and how these beliefs inform Mormons’ encounters with nature. Introducing overarching environmental ideas, contributors examine specific aspects of nature and Mormon theology to glean new insights into the Mormon experience.Trade Review“This felicitous collection deepens our understanding of the changing relationship between Latter-day Saints and the environmental world that here encompasses land, water, habitat, place, and home. A milestone in Mormon studies and a benchmark for future scholarship.” — Jared Farmer, author of On Zion’s Mount: Mormons, Indians, and the American Landscape“A significant contribution. These essays provide a synthesis of the growing literature in the field as well as a springboard and road map for future studies.” — Andrew H. Hedges, professor of church history and doctrine, Brigham Young UniversityTable of Contents Introduction: The Promise and Challenge of Mormon Environmental History, by Jedediah S. Rogers and Matthew C. Godfrey History, Nature, and Mormon Historiography, by Jedediah S. Rogers Part I: Theology and Ideology The “Lion of the Lord” and the Land: Brigham Young’s Environmental Ethic, by Sara Dant Lost Memory and Environmentalism: Mormons on the Wasatch Front, 1847–1930, by Thomas G. Alexander Part II: Perception and Place The Natural World and the Establishment of Zion, 1831–1833, by Matthew C. Godfrey “We Seldom Find Either Garden, Cow, or Pig”: Encountering Environments in Urban England and the American West, by Brett D. Dowdle Mapping Deseret: Vernacular Mormon Mapmaking and Spiritual Geography in the American West, by Richard Francaviglia American Zion: Mormon Culture and the Creation of a National Park, by Betsy Gaines Quammen Part III: Agrarianism and Urbanism Before the Boom: Mormons, Livestock, and Stewardship, 1847–1870, by Jeff Nichols “The People Cannot Conquer the River”: Mormons and Water in the Arid Southwest, 1865–1938, by Brian Frehner “There Are Millions of Acres in Our State”: Mormon Agrarianism and the Environmental Limits of Expansion, by Brian Q. Cannon “The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden”: Spencer W. Kimball and the Transformation of the Mormon Agrarian Tradition, by Nathan N. Waite “For the Strength of the Hills”: Casting a Concrete Zion, by Rebecca K. Andersen Epilogue: On the Moral Lessons of Mormon Environmental History, by George B. Handley Appendix: Righteous Dominion and Compassion for the Earth, by Marcus B. Nash Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisWidely regarded as perhaps America's greatest theologian, Jonathan Edwards still suffers the stereotype of hellfire preacher obsessed with God's wrath. In this anthology, Gerald McDermott and Ronald Story seek to correct that common view by showing that Edwards was also a compassionate, socially conscious minister of the first order. Through a selection of sermons and primary writings, McDermott and Story reveal an Edwards who preached love toward all humanity regardless of belief or appearance; who demanded private and public charity to the poor; who criticized hard-hearted business dealings as impious and socially destructive; and who condemned envy and status-seeking as anti-Christian and anti-community. This “other” Jonathan Edwards preached about grace and the love of God but also about responsive constitutional government, the iniquities of hypocrisy and corruption, and the nature of wise leadership. He acknowledged the need for national defence but left room for popular revolt from tyranny. He anticipated a millennial age of peace and prosperity and believed that people should live in the world as they would live through grace in heaven. Jonathan Edwards was, in sum, a worldly as well as spiritual reformer who resisted the materialistic, acquisitive, and individualistic currents of American culture. For these reasons, McDermott and Story think he may have lessons to teach us today.

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Book SynopsisAfter the unexpected collapse of the Soviet Union, the categories of “Left” and “Right” continue to be used to describe political ideologies, despite their historic ambiguity and a shared utopian root. The idealistic belief that a perfect world is possible continues to dwell on existential hope for messianic salvation. This belief lay at the heart of the apocalyptic narratives of the Bible and reflects what the Greeks called hubris, a fatal and destructive form of conceit. This conceit reemerged in the Gnostic sects of early Christianity, then again in medieval millenarianism, Jacobinism, Marxism, Fascism, and secular “liberal” collectivism. Modern-day Salafi Islam is the latest manifestation in this nefarious tradition. In The Utopian Conceit and the War on Freedom, noted political philosopher Juliana Geran Pilon explores the roots of this malevolent ideology as the common ancestor of both anti-capitalism and anti-Semitism in the contemporary world, where political and religious freedom is increasingly under assault.In an age of rampant religious and philosophical skepticism and national and ethnic deracination, religious and quasi-religious ideologies bent on the vilification and destruction of entire communities are confronting and undermining a confused, guilt-ridden, materialistic, and often nihilistic Western society. In this bold and dynamic book, Pilon argues that a strong defense of freedom and pluralism, which forms the basis of constitutional democracy, is essential for the survival of civilization. Culturally sensitive and empirically tested outreach, predicated on an uncompromising defense against disinformation and terror, must be waged by all civilized nations, but especially the United States as its role evolves in a changing world.

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Book SynopsisStrategic Acts in the Study of Identity is a multi-authored work that tackles the problem of how to examine the historicity of identity. Six scholars of religion, all members of the Culture on the Edge group, engage in a constructive dialogue mediating and critically cross-examining issues of identity formation, suggesting ways of achieving greater theoretical clarity in the study of identity-or better, identity claims-as it takes shape over time and space. The volume is divided into three sites, or what we might call three situations, each of which is representative of a specific act, such as for example, the strategic acts of classification, appropriation, and comparison. Each site then consists of a main chapter, a response from another scholar (who presses further the point of the main chapter while inviting its author to reflect upon their initial argument) and a reply from the author of the main chapter. Additionally, the volume includes an appendix with a series of posts that originally appeared at the blog for Culture on the Edge. These theoretically challenging posts, also investigating the volume's three main areas, further exemplify and model a different way of approach in the study of identity. Although Strategic Acts in the Study of Identity is not a textbook, and while challenging for any reader, it can serve as a great pedagogical tool for professors who wish to use the book in their classes not only within religious studies but in any class that touches on issues of identity.Table of ContentsPreface-"Show Your Work" Vaia Touna Introduction-On the Strategies of Identity Formation Craig Martin, St Thomas Aquinas College Site I Acts of Classification 1. Nostalgia and the Discourse Concerning Nones Steven Ramey, University of Alabama 2. Response to Steven Ramey: The Constitutive Discourse of Description Vaia Touna 3. Reply to Vaia Touna: Situated Descriptions Steven Ramey Site II Acts of Appropriation 4. Strategizing Subjectivity: Creolization and Intentionality in Studies of Caribbean Religions K. Merinda Simmons, University of Alabama 5. Response to K. Merinda Simmons: When is it OK to Borrow Craig Martin 6. Reply to Craig Martin: "The Other Is Not": Mediating Specialness and Specificity K. Merinda Simmons Site III Acts of Comparison 7. Writing Women out of Women's Movements: The Discursive Boundaries of Feminism Leslie Dorough Smith, Avila University 8. Response to Leslie Dorough-Smith: Transgressions Russell T. McCutcheon, University of Alabama 9. Reply to Russell T. McCutcheon: Navigating the Politics of Comparison Leslie Dorough Smith Afterword 10. Strategic Acts I and II Russell T. McCutcheon Appendix Acts of Classification 1. Creation Ex Nihilo: Pew Forum and the "Nones" Steven Ramey 2. Discourse all the Way Down Craig Martin 3. And You Shall Call his Name Jesus Monica Miller, LeHigh University 4. Making Distinctions Craig Martin 5. Making Magic Work Monica Miller 6. Which Past do you Authorize? Vaia Touna 7. Just Really Old...Or, Historical? K. Merinda Simmons 8. Green Means Go? Russell T. McCutcheon 9. Maps, Interpretations, and "The Territory" Vaia Touna 10. Look How Tall You Are! Russell T. McCutcheon 11. The Harm of World Religions Steven Ramey 12. Standing in Line at Chipotle (or, the Hefty Politics of Naming) Leslie Dorrough-Smith Acts of Appropriation 13. That Ain't The Queen's English Russell T. McCutheon 14. Habla Espanol? Leslie Dorrough-Smith 15. Frames of Identity Vaia Touna 16. In Other Words... K. Merinda Simmons 17. Whose Switch is a Switch? Monica Miller 18. Double Standards Vaia Touna 19. Pizza Hut: The Best Indian Food Around Leslie Dorrough-Smith 20. Conceiving the "We" in Pluralism Craig Martin 21. Staking a Claim K. Merinda Simmons 22. Almost Black? Monica Miller 23. What Should You Be on Halloween? Steven Ramey 24. Cultural Entrepreneurs Steven Ramey Acts of Comparison 25. Kids Drink Pop, So What? Russell T. McCutcheon 26. Look Who's Talking! K. Merinda Simmons 27. Trick or Trick Monica Miller 28. Trainwreck-spotting: How We Insist on Not Working on the Railroad and Instead Tie Ourselves to the Tracks K. Merinda Simmons 29. The Luxury of Nuance Vaia Touna 30. Does My "Wife" Have a "Job"? Craig Martin 31. The Most Disgusting Picture Ever Leslie Dorrough Smith 32. Identifying Threats of Violence Steven Ramey 33. Innumerable Shades of Grey Russell T. McCutcheon 34. Competing Discourses on Life and Death Craig Martin 35. Shoots, Stabs, or Farts: Some Thoughts on Child's Play Leslie Dorrough-Smith

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Book SynopsisThe fabrication of groups as different, as other, often has significant consequences, including violence and discrimination. This volume focuses on the discourses that construct Islam in the aftermath of traumatic events and thus illustrates how academic analysis of the fabrication of difference can contribute significantly to public discourse. It centers on two critical analyses by accomplished scholars who have written publicly on the constructions of Islam and Muslims as others. Mayanthi Fernando analyzes the rhetoric surrounding French laicite (often translated as secularism) in the aftermath of the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris in 2015, highlighting the ways the majority uses the language of laicite to diminish the presence of minorities. Aaron Hughes analyzes how scholars and others construct Islam in response to acts of violence attributed to people who identify with Islam, thus illustrating how critical academic analysis can contribute to the understanding of both the contestation and ideology behind groups such as ISIS. Ten early career scholars apply and extend the questions and approaches of these central essays in short reflections that apply these issues in new ways to other contexts (e.g., India, the United States, early Christianity) and topics (e.g., social issues in politics, religion vs. non-religion, nationalism, scholars in public discourse). The volume concludes with a substantive Afterword that broadens from these specific current events to present an extended analysis of the fabrication of difference and the ways recognizing these processes should influence our scholarship and our engagement with public discourse. In addressing the ways people construct difference and the Other, this volume, therefore, provides one answer to the question of the relevance of these fields in a period of both political challenge and internal critique of the assumption of the universality of academic research.Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionSteven W. Ramey1. Myths of the French RepublicMayanthi L. Fernando, University of California, Santa CruzReflections on Myths of the French Republic2. Concerning Voices: Thinking with Fernando about Bigotry and SilenceDamon T. Berry, St Lawrence University3. The Power of Persecution and Martyrdom in Modern DiscourseTara Baldrick-Morrone, Florida State University (doctoral candidate)4. The Myths of France, Periodization, and Sovereign Power Stephanie Frank, Columbia College Chicago5. Strategies of 'Othering' in Contemporary IndiaVincent E. Burgess, Cornell University (doctoral candidate)6. Clashing Allegiances: The Practicality of Constructing National IdentityAndie Alexander, University of Colorado Boulder (MA candidate)7. ISIS: What's a Poor Religionist to Do?Aaron W. Hughes, University of RochesterReflections on ISIS: What's a Poor Religionist to Do?8. Give Me Liberty or Give Me Pizza: (Or, How the Public Transcript Fabricates Difference)Thomas J. Whitley, Independent Scholar9. Racialized Religion in America: Terrorist Bodies, Turbans, and Mistaken IdentityMartha Smith Roberts, University of California, Santa Barbara (doctoral candidate) 10. Why Do We Still Wear the Shoe That Bites?Deeksha Sivakumar, Emory University (doctoral candidate)11. Rightly Disdained by Intelligent Persons: Magic, Superstition, and the Disenchantment of the World Ian Alexander Cuthbertson, Independent Scholar 12. Secular Publics and the Study of Religion: A Few Considerations for Critical Scholars Charles McCrary, Florida State University (doctoral candidate) AfterwordWhat Difference Does It Make? Critical Theory and Public DiscourseSteven W. Ramey

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Book SynopsisConstructing "Data" in Religious Studies provides a critical introduction to the ways in which the category "data" is understood, produced, and deployed in the discipline of religious studies. The volume is organized into four different sections, entitled "Subjects," "Objects," "Scholars," and "Institutions," with an epilogue by Russell McCutcheon and Aaron Hughes. The volume's aim is to reflect, first, on the problems, strategies, and political structures through which scholars identify (and therefore create) data, and second, on the institutions, extensions, and applications of that data. The first three sections are spearheaded by a key essay and followed by four responses, all of which consider how the politics of the academy determine the very nature of the things we purport to study. The fourth section considers what these concepts look like as they are applied and further institutionalized in college and university structures, and itself includes four essays on "teaching," "departments," "research," and "labor." Finally, the epilogue closes the volume with a consideration on the politics of scholarly collegiality, transforming the data-makers (scholars) into data themselves.Table of ContentsIntroduction: , “If I Had A Nickel For Every Time…”: Thinking Critically About “Data” Leslie Dorrough Smith Part I: Subjects 1. Partitioning “Religion” and its Prehistories: Reflections on Categories, Narratives, and the Practice of Religious Studies Annette Yoshiko Reed, New York University Responses: 2. A More Subtle Violence: The Footnoting of “the Aboriginal Principle of Witnessing” by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Adam Stewart, Crandall University 3. Categorization and Its Discontents M Adryael Tong, Fordham University (PhD candidate) 4. Categorizing Contrariety: Narrative and Taxonomy in the Construction of Sikhism John Soboslai, Montclair State University 5. Interrogating Categories with Ethnography: On the `Five Pillars’ of Islam Jennifer A. Selby, Memorial University of Newfoundland Part II: Objects 6. Objects and Objections: Methodological Reflections on the Data for Religious Studies Matthew C. Baldwin, Mars Hill University Responses: 7. The Red Hot Iron: Religion, Nonreligion, and the Material Petra Klug, University of Bremen 8. Surprised By History: A Response to Baldwin Holly White, Independent Scholar 9. Governance and Public Policy as Critical Objects of Investigation in the Study of Religion Peggy Schmeiser, University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina 10. Negative Dialektik and the Question Concerning the Relation Between Objects and Concepts: A Response to Matthew Baldwin Lucas Wright, University of California, Santa Barbara (PhD candidate) Part III: Scholars 11. “[T]he thing itself always steals away”: Scholars and the Constitution of Their Objects of Study Craig Martin, St Thomas Aquinas College Responses: 12. Scholars and the Framing of Objects Vaia Touna, University of Alabama 13. Serial Killers and Scholars of Religion Martha Smith Roberts, Denison University 14. Caffeinated & Half-Baked Realities: Religion as the Opium of the Scholar Jason WM Ellsworth, Dalhousie University (PhD candidate) 15. On the Seminal Adventure of the Trace: A Response to Craig Martin Joel Harrison, Northwestern University (PhD candidate) Part IV: Institutions 16. Labor: Finding the Devil in Indiana Jones: Mythologies of Work and the State of Academic Labor James Dennis LoRusso, Princeton University 17. Teaching: Teaching in the Ideological State of Religious Studies: Notes Towards a Pedagogical Future Richard Newton, University of Alabama 18. Departments: Competencies and Curricula: The Role of Academic Departments in Shaping the Study of Religion Rebekka King, Middle Tennessee State University 19. Research: Religious Studies Research In an Era of Neoliberalization Gregory D. Alles, McDaniel College Epilogue The Gatekeeping Rhetoric of Collegiality in the Study of Religion Aaron W. Hughes, University of Rochester, and Russell McCutcheon, University of Alabama

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Book SynopsisAre atheists immoral? Does religion cause conflict? Is religion always opposed to science?Boldly paving the way for constructive dialogue between atheists and religious believers, Paul Hedges tackles issues such as the treatment of women, the idea of a pure and empirical realm of 'science', and the association of religion with violence and warfare, debunking the myths and exposing the futility of the battle between 'reason' and 'belief'.Threading deftly between atheism, the major world religions of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, and smaller groups such as Paganism, Hedges demonstrates a vast scope for agreement and interaction between them which will call to every open minded reader.Trade ReviewThis is a terrific little book! I don't know how you managed to cover so many key issues so clearly and in such a short space. You have done a remarkably good job: the writing is clear and accessible; to my mind your tone is perfect because you emphasize that you want to engage with people, but that, like them, you do have opinions; this is one of the few times I really liked boxes because they provided short, pertinent examples instead of interrupting the text. I would use this text, in fact I would like to use this text for a class I am giving in the spring, so I wish it were already published! I very much liked your introductory discussion about faith vs. reason. That is such an important issue, and you covered it beautifully with excellent examples and thought experiments... This was a most enjoyable read. -- Dr. Allison P. Coudert, Paul and Marie Castelfranco Chair in the Study of Religion University of CaliforniaJudicious, informed, and fair - Paul Hedges doesn't simply compare and contrast the different worldview of atheists and believers, but goes behind them. Taking all the major religions into account, Hedges creates a map of areas of analysis that illuminates and clarifies the debates. It is a compelling tour de force. In this book, Hedges becomes the sage guide that our polarized age desperately needs. -- The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, PhD, Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary, Professor of Theology and Ethics and Author of Against AtheismTowards Better Disagreement: Religion and Atheism in Dialogue is a thoughtful and compassionate review of the differences between those who find some spiritual sense and meaning to existence and those that do not. It is marked by a gentle courtesy towards disputants, without at all ignoring or belittling genuine disagreements. What makes it remarkably valuable, both for the more general reader as well as the student, is the wide range of issues covered from questions about the founders of religion (like Jesus) to contemporary problems of much concern including sex and gender, and the nature and place of animals. Highly recommended. -- Michael Ruse, Lucyle T Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University and Author of Darwinism as Religion: What Literature tells us about EvolutionThis book paves the way for both theists and atheists to relate to each other in a more nuanced and meaningful way. It is a much needed resource for all who are interested in laying the foundations for robust dialogues between the religious and non-religious communities beyond presumptions and prejudices. -- Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib, Singapore interfaith activist and founding member, Leftwrite CenterPaul Hedges is an extraordinarily fluent, courteous and wise writer. He covers a great deal of ground with admirable brevity and clarity.The result is a readable and accessible book that I shall be commending to my students here at Sarum College. In particular I think that it would be of practical use to A-level students or undergraduates wanting to explore the nature of religion. This text will certainly inform the development of our learning life here in Sarum College. -- James Woodward * James Woodward *Those engaged in inter-religious dialogue will find much of the analysis offered thought-provoking and constructive, and it may well point to the face that in discussions there should be room for a sensitive atheist perspective as well. -- Robert Reiss * Interreligious Insight *This book is timely, and the intention behind it is to be applauded.- Richard Norman, University of Kent -- Theology JournalWhile the book is compact, it manages to cover a good deal of material with lucidity and conciseness. The format of the book also makes it highly accessible, with summary boxes that succinctly condense the main points.This work would be useful to students at an undergraduate level seeking to understand more about religion and its dialogue with atheism. -- Asia Journal of TheologyPaul hedges's study is an important one in our fractious time, offering excellent consideration of meaningful dialogue between the secular and the religious that goes beyond apologetics (both religious and secular), as it seeks common ground for shared engagement in the world. -- Carl Chudy * Anglican Theological Review *Table of Contents1. Setting the Debate in Context. 2. Books and Beliefs: Choosing and Interpreting Texts. 3. Authority Figures: Jesus and the Others. 4. God, Gods and Reality. 5. Religions: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 6. Women, Bodies and Gender. 7. Human Animals, Non-human Animals, and the Universe Around Us. 8. Living in a Religiously Diverse, Post-Christian and Post-Secular World. Further Reading. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis ground-breaking book contains contributions from 12 different religious traditions: Hinduism, African Traditional Religion, Judaism, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Shintoism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Unitarianism and Bahá'í. Interfaith worship and prayer can be complex, but this book demonstrates that in a world of many cultures and religions, there is an urgent need for religions to come together with trust and communication, especially when there is a crisis. Full of insights and examples of practice, the book demonstrates how religions can be a powerful means of unity and compassion. The book opposes the 'clash of civilisations' model as a way of interpreting the world and promotes peace, hope, and the possibility of cooperation. Religious believers can be sincere and committed to their own faith, while recognising the need to stand firmly together with members of other religious traditions.Trade ReviewThis book will be an invaluable resource for teachers and also religious leaders as they seek to show common ground shared by religions, whilst not undermining the central claims of the different traditions. It is also provides an excellent way of beginning to understand alternative perspectives other than one's own. -- Dr Peter Vardy was Vice-Principal of Heythrop College, University of London and is a well-known philosopher of religionThose of any theological position will find this an excellent resource in thinking about and planning for worship or prayer involving people of different faiths. The contributors cover an unusually wide range of material, and the practical suggestions they offer are sensible, balanced and achievable. -- Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of LichfieldSome theologians find good reasons to say why it is difficult to pray together. This book condenses some striking arguments why it is indispensable to do it anyway. A unique collection of interfaith perspectives to meet in love and face the divine. -- Rabbi Walter Homolka PhD PhD DHL, Professor of Modern Jewish Thought and Interreligious Dialogue School of Jewish Theology at the University of Potsdam GermanyA fascinating guide to the variety of approaches to worship, both within and between different faith traditions, as well as the possibilities and limitations of interfaith worship. What is clear is that the human need for inspiration and assurance from The Divine is universal. -- Princess Badiya el Hassan, Princess of JordanThis is a timely book which will serve as a handbook for those exploring the possibilities of interfaith worship. As the book's subtitle has it we must pray together, in other words coming together to pray in today's world is no longer an optional extra but a practical imperative. In the book representatives of twelve major world faith traditions give detailed, scholarly and personal explanations of how interfaith worship is understood and practised within their faith groups. Interfaith Worship and Prayer is an invaluable guide to those hoping to deepen their spiritual connection with people of other religions. It does not suggest that interfaith encounter is always easy, the writers and the reflective sections contributed by the editors highlight many of the difficulties encountered as we pray together. But taken altogether it is a clear sighted and open exploration of how followers of different religions can learn to worship together that deserves to find wide useacross all faith communities. -- Rev Dr David Steers, Editor, Faith and FreedomAll who envision a peaceful future for the humanity with rich spiritual life must explore ways to build harmony among diverse faith communities that now encounter one another in all parts of our globalized world. Sadly, the encounters often turn into occasions for tensions. This timely collection of essays by scholars and followers from diverse faith traditions of the world invites readers to reflect creatively on the urgent need of our times to turn encounters into dialogs. With a focus on the most active manifestation of faith - worship - and with organizational principle of respect, the book opens windows to the worlds of many religious communities with whom the reader will feel inspired to pray, standing in their own place but being a part of a symphony. Pragmatic and accessible, the book offers an invaluable resource for teachers, students, and indeed all world citizens to cultivate understanding of perspectives other than their own. A highly recommended collection! -- Neelima Shukla-Bhatt, Associate Professor of South Asia Studies, Wellesley College, Wellesley MATable of ContentsForeword - TBC; 1. Introduction - Dan Cohn-Sherbok, University of Wales;2. The argument for interfaith prayer and worship - Christopher Lewis, Oxford University;3. Hinduism PART I: - Divine Unity and Human Solidarity. A Hindu Perspective on Praying Together - Anantanand Rambachan, St. Olaf College, Minnesota; PART II: The Devil in his skirt - Shaunaka Rishi Das, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies;4. African Traditional Religion PART I: - Nokuzola Mndende, University of Free State (UFS) and Icamagu Heritage Institute for African Traditional Religion, South Africa; PART II: Joint worship ceremonies of Africanists and Christians in the Kingdom of Swaziland - Hebron L Ndlovu, University of Swaziland; 5. Judaism PART I: Aaron Rosen, King's College London, UK; PART II: Alan Brill, Seton Hall University, USA;6. Jainism PART I: Praying Together in an Atmosphere of Interfaith Harmony - Vinod Kapashi, Mahavir Foundation, London, UK; PART II: Interfaith Involvement of Jains - Natubhai Shah, Jain Network, UK;7. Buddhism PART I: Buddhism and Prayer - Bogodo Seelawimala, London Buddhist Vihara and the Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain; PART II: Issues for Buddhists in Interfaith Settings - Vishvapani Blomfield, Wales, UK;8. Zoroastrianism PART I: Moving forward through Prayer and Worship together - Jehangir Sarosh, Religions for Peace; PART II: Behram Deboo, Zoroastrian Society of Washington State, USA and Maneck Bhujwala, Zoroastrian Associations in Southern and Northern California, USA;9. Shintoism PART I: Yoshinobu Miyake, International Shinto Studies Association (ISSA), Japan; PART II: Yasuhiro Tanaka, Kamo-wake-ikazuchi-jinja Shrine, Japan;10. Christianity PART I: Hugh Ellis, Council of Christian-Muslim Relations and Wycombe Refugee Partnership, UK; PART II: Interfaith prayer - Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook, Claremont School of Theology USA; PART III: Marcus Braybrooke World Congress of Faiths; 11. Islam PART I: Praying with others - Ibrahim Mogra, University of Leicester and De Montfort University, UK; PART II: Monawar Hussain, Eton College, Windsor, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Oxford Foundation, UK; PART III: Inclusivist Islam - Usama Hasan, Quilliam, London, UK12. Sikhism PART I: Sikh Response towards Interfaith Worship and Prayer - Pashaura Singh, University of California, Riverside; PART II: Collective Effervescence - Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, Colby College, USA; PART III: Sikhism Exploration: a personal glimpse into interfaith learning - Lucy Soucek, USA13. Unitarianism PART I: Feargus O'Connor, St Albans Unitarians and Golders Green Unitarians, London.; PART II: Unitarian Universalist Interfaith Worship and Prayer - Jay Atkinson, Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California14. Baha'I PART I: The Perspective of one Baha'I - Wendi Momen, University of Derby, UK; PART II: 'Consort with all Religions with amity and concord' - George Ballentyne, Leicester City Council, UK15. Concluding Reflection - Alan Race, Executive Chair of the World Congress of Faiths, UKBiographical Notes on ContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisIn modern multi-faith societies, religious diversity not only affects religious organisations and communities, but indeed every aspect of life. From celebrating cultural events, to considering how the police should interact with members of the public from different faith communities, this book highlights the ways in which all members of society can engage constructively with diversity.This ground-breaking book draws on the work at the St Philip's Centre in Leicester and presents a collection of case studies to show how people from a variety of religious backgrounds and ethical convictions have learnt to coexist peacefully. Without shying away from the conflicts and challenges that have occurred, the book focuses on the lessons learnt and offers real examples of how to promote positive interfaith relationships.This is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to understand the issues of religion and belief that may arise at local and national levels, and develop appropriate attitudes and actions for peaceful resolution.Trade ReviewModern Britain is diverse and this is an exemplar of imaginative interfaith work from Leicester. Now with much experience of changing contexts, the authors maturely celebrate what is possible whilst addressing the hard challenges. Here we see some next steps to try out as we attempt living well together. -- The Very Revd David Monteith, Dean of LeicesterEven before moving to Leicester, I had heard much talk of the 'Leicester model' of social cohesion. As this book makes clear, there is much that is unique about Leicester, but also much that this wonderful city can teach us about one of the defining questions of our time: how we can learn to live well together. -- The Rt Revd Martyn Snow, Bishop of LeicesterI urge all to read this book and learn from Tom Wilson's and Riaz Ravat's exciting work in Leicester. This excellent book will develop your understanding of living and integrating in a multicultural society that the UK so clearly is today. -- Colonel Stuart Williams, 7th Infantry Brigade, The Desert RatsUndoubtedly a well-researched, highly readable book. It highlights the importance of living well and working together for the shared common good through mutual understanding of the traditions, teachings and practices of diverse communities. The book presents the St Philip's Centre's positive approach to community cohesion and inter-faith issues. -- Councillor Manjula Sood, Chair, Leicester Council of FaithsLearning to Live Well Together gives real world examples of how individuals and communities can build safer, stronger and happier lives by engaging in dialogue, interaction and in the development of social connections that ensure more resilient communities. Today, the global challenges have grown and ensuring that people and communities can weather some of the winds that buffet us, is key. This book highlights these practical and real world examples and therefore can also inspire many to be the 'forces for good' that this country continuously needs. -- Fiyaz Mughal, Founder and Director, Faith Matters, Founder – Tell MAMAAn Unexpected Treasure... Perhaps no community in the world has generated the kind of transforming interfaith dialogue with measurable results that Leicester is experiencing. During and after the Brexit vote, hate crimes doubled in Leicester; but they multiplied five-fold in the rest of the country. This well-documented and indexed 178-page narrative sheds light on how and why Leicester did so much better. The book is a clear candidate for best interfaith book of 2017...This is a pioneering book that sets our assumptions topsy-turvy, makes us rethink the whole process of dialogue with 'the other,' and offers directions for a peaceful world in spite of all the conflict we face today. It is an invaluable resource for interfaith activists. With this kind of approach, the possibilities of an authentic, effective interfaith movement become brighter. Co-authors Tom Wilson, director of St. Philip's Centre, and Riaz Ravat, deputy director, have done their homework and leave us with tools to empower any interfaith activist. -- The Interfaith ObserverLearning to live well together is vitally important in over-coming prejudice, in healing society's divisions and reducing the dangers of extremism... The [St Philip's] Centre is, as I know from some personal knowledge of its activities, doing excellent work. Leaders of local interfaith groups, many of which are doing similar important work, will be helped by reading it [Learning to Live Well Together]. -- The Alister Hardy Trust, De NumineTable of ContentsIntroduction. 1. The Leicester Context. 2. The St Philip's Centre. 3. Encounter. 4. Understand. 5. Trust. 6. Co-operate. 7. Inter-faith in the Twenty-first Century. 8. Where Next? References.

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Book SynopsisYoung people are doing faith differently. They are redefining community, ministry and ritual for a new era. In the face of planetary crisis, the next generation no longer see faith as a private matter, instead they are integrating it with activism and the need for systemic change. Influenced by the wealth of different teachings and traditions available around them, their identities are increasingly multifaceted and emphatically global. This collection of stories and interviews with young adults and their allies explores this new landscape, reflecting both the energy and inspiration of the next generation and the tremendous challenges they face. It points towards an exciting evolution in the way we are relating to the sacred.With stories from:Adam Bucko, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Kara Moses, Abbas Zahedi, Camille Barton, Bruna Kadletz, Dekila Chungyalpa, Matt Youde, Amrita Bhohi, Sun Kaur, and many others.With supporting stories from senior leaders including:His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Rabbi Laura Janner Klausner, Bhai Sahib Dr Mohinder Singh, and more.Table of ContentsTbc.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe values of liberalism, pluralism, and democratic governance are under sustained attack from right-wing Christian fundamentalists, white ethnonationalists, and economic populists. At the same time, liberal democracies are failing at cultivating and transmitting the values, wisdom, and virtues that are the perquisites for individual and collective flourishing. Liberal democracies seem increasingly unable to negotiate diverse visions of the good life rooted in regional, ethnic, racial, religious, generational, and socioeconomic differences. Aspiring autocrats and social media organizations exploit these divisions to enhance their power or profit, resulting in increased tribalization and affective polarization. Solving these problems requires a renewed understanding of human flourishing and the wisdom and virtues that make it possible. The House We Live In explores the commonalities underlying three classical approaches to virtue ethics--Aristotelean, Buddhist, and Confucian--to develop a flourishing-based ethics capable of addressing the problems of liberal democracies. The book examines the moral and intellectual virtues that promote flourishing, the diversity of ways in which we may flourish, and the factors all flourishing lives share. It shows how a flourishing-based ethics can serve as a corrective to the historical Western over-emphasis on individualism at the expense of community. Finally, it addresses problems in domestic and foreign policy and the difficulties in talking to each other across the political divide from a flourishing-based perspective. The book is a reaffirmation of pluralism, the liberal democratic tradition, and the necessity of a pragmatic approach to living together despite seemingly incommensurable differences.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1. The House We Live In Chapter 2. On Virtue Chapter 3. On Wisdom Chapter 4. On Flourishing Chapter 5. Only Connect Conclusions

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